Digital signage

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed a digital signage including a display panel, a housing having the display panel arranged in one surface, the housing comprising a closed inner space, a cooling unit provided in a predetermined portion of the housing, the cooling unit comprising a hole configured to suck and exhaust external air, a heat pipe comprising one end positioned in the inner space of the housing to be coupled to a back surface of the display and the other end positioned in the cooling unit, with a liquid flowing therein to move heat, and a driving circuit board coupled to a back surface of the heat pipe to control driving of the display panel, such that the digital signage having a slim design can exhaust the heat generated from a display panel and a driving circuit board effectively.

This application is a Continuation Application of prior U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/042,848 filed Oct. 1, 2013, which claimspriority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Application No. 10-2013-0045175filed on Apr. 24, 2013, whose entire disclosures are hereby incorporatedby reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE Field of the Disclosure

The present invention relates to a digital signage having a slim designthat is able to exhaust the heat generated from a display panel and adriving circuit board effectively.

Discussion of the Related Art

Recently, digital signage that provides various contents and messagesvia a display panel has been used, not such a hardware media as asignboard and a poster for outdoor advertisement. With rapid developmentof intelligent digital video devices based on LCDs or LEDs, demands forsuch digital signage have been increasing recently.

Here, as the size of a display panel is getting increased more and more,there is a disadvantage of increased heat that is generated in a displaypanel and a driving circuit board. Due to its characteristics, theoutdoor advertisement has to operate normally even in high temperatureand high humidity circumstances. Accordingly, a digital signage capableof exhausting the heat generated in a display panel and a circuit uniteffectively is required.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

An object of the present invention is to a digital signage having a slimdesign that is able to exhaust the heat generated from a display paneland a driving circuit board effectively.

Additional advantages, objects, and features of the disclosure will beset forth in part in the description which follows and in part willbecome apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art uponexamination of the following or may be learned from practice of theinvention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may berealized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in thewritten description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.

To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with thepurpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, adigital signage includes a display panel; a housing having the displaypanel arranged in one surface, the housing comprising a closed innerspace; a cooling unit provided in a predetermined portion of thehousing, the cooling unit comprising a hole configured to suck andexhaust external air; a heat pipe comprising one end positioned in theinner space of the housing to be coupled to a back surface of thedisplay and the other end positioned in the cooling unit, with a liquidflowing therein to move heat; and a driving circuit board coupled to aback surface of the heat pipe to control driving of the display panel.

The digital signage may further include a heat radiation member coupledto the other end of the heat pipe to enlarge a contact area with the airpenetrating the cooling unit.

The heat radiation member may include a heat suction part comprising onesurface in contact with the heat pipe; and a plurality of heat radiationfins projected from the other surface of the heat suction part.

The digital plurality of the heat radiation fins may be formed in aplate shape and spaced apart a predetermined distance from each other ina perpendicular direction to the surface to make surfaces face eachother.

The digital signage may further include a cooling fan configured tocontrol air flow to make air flow between the heat radiation fins bydrawing external air therein.

The heat radiation member may include at least one of aluminum, copper,gold and silver.

The cooling unit may further include a cooling fan configured to controlair flow in the cooling unit to heat-exchange the external air suckedtherein with the heat pipe and to exhaust the air after the heatexchange.

The cooling unit may be arranged in a top portion of the housing, moreprojected toward a rear direction than the housing, and the hole mayinclude a first hole formed in a top or lateral surface of the coolingunit; and a second hole formed in a bottom of the projected portion ofthe cooling unit.

The cooling unit may be arranged in a top portion of the housing, andthe heat pipe may be a long pipe in a vertical direction.

A horizontal cross section of the heat pipe may be rectangular, and theheat pipe may include a long side in contact with the display panel anda short side perpendicular to the display panel.

The liquid filled in the heat pipe may be a volatile liquid.

A boiling point of the volatile liquid may be 40° C. or higher and 70°C. or lower.

The other end of the heat pipe positioned in the cooling unit may havean enlarged surface area.

The other end of the heat pipe may include a plurality of cooling holesconfigured to penetrate the air drawn into the cooling unit therethrough.

The digital signage may further include a plurality of micro-passagesprovided in the heat pipe, in communication with each other.

A plurality of heat pipes may be arranged and the plurality of the heatpipes may include ends or the other ends in communication with eachother.

The heat pipe may contact with the driving circuit board at apredetermined position corresponding to an integrated circuit (IC)mounted on the driving circuit board.

The heat pipe may be extended in a vertical direction, penetrating a topportion of the housing and the cooling unit, and the portion of the heatpipe which penetrates the housing and the cooling unit may be treatedfor water-proof.

The digital signage may further include a sub display panel provided ina back surface of the housing.

An inner space of one housing may be partitioned off into the housingand the cooling unit by a partition wall.

According to at least one of the embodiments described above, the heatgenerated in the housing can be exhausted effectively, even withoutdrawing the external air into the housing. Accordingly, the durabilityof the digital signage can be enhanced.

Furthermore, external foreign substances may not be drawn into theclosed housing and no filter is provided. Accordingly, it can be simpleto repair and maintain the digital signage. In addition, the simple typeheat pipe capable of moving the heat upward and downward is used in thedigital signage according to the embodiments, not the conventional heatexchanger with complex passages. Accordingly, the thin housing can berealized.

Additional advantages, objects, and features of the disclosure will beset forth in part in the description which follows and in part willbecome apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art uponexamination of the following or may be learned from practice of theinvention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may berealized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in thewritten description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute apart of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the invention andtogether with the description serve to explain the principle of theinvention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective diagram illustrating an exterior appearance of adigital signage according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear diagram illustrating an inside of the digital signageaccording to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional diagram of the digital signage according to oneembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a rear diagram illustrating an inside of a digital signageaccording to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a sectional diagram of the digital signage according to theembodiment of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a rear diagram illustrating an inside of a digital signageaccording to a further embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a FIG. 5 is a sectional diagram of the digital signageaccording to the embodiment of FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

In the following detailed description, reference is made to theaccompanying drawing figures which form a part hereof, and which show byway of illustration specific embodiments of the invention. It is to beunderstood by those of ordinary skill in this technological field thatother embodiments may be utilized, and structural, electrical, as wellas procedural changes may be made without departing from the scope ofthe present invention. Wherever possible, the same reference numberswill be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or similarparts.

As used herein, the suffixes ‘module’, ‘unit’ and ‘part’ are used forelements in order to facilitate the disclosure only. Therefore,significant meanings or roles are not given to the suffixes themselvesand it is understood that the ‘module’, ‘unit’ and ‘part’ can be usedtogether or interchangeably.

FIG. 1 is a perspective diagram illustrating an exterior appearance of adigital signage 100 according to one embodiment of the presentinvention. As shown in FIG. 1, the digital signage 100 includes adisplay panel 120 arranged on a front surface thereof, a housing 110having various components arranged therein, and a cooling unit 115provided in a predetermined portion of the housing 110.

In housing of installing it outdoor, the digital signage 100 could havevarious foreign substances including dust and sands therein and suchforeign substances might deteriorate the durability of the digitalsignage 100. Accordingly, the inside of the housing 110 is closedairtight to prevent outdoor air from coming therein.

The cooling unit 115 is provided in a predetermined portion of thehousing 110 and it includes a hole to suck and exhaust external airtherein, different from the housing. The position of the cooling unit115 may be a lateral surface of the housing. However, when the coolingunit 115 is positioned in a top portion of the housing as shown in FIG.1, the heat inside the housing 110 can move upward and an effect of heatradiation can be enhanced.

The cooling unit 115 may be attached to the housing independently or apartition wall is provided in one case to partition off the inside ofthe case into the housing 110 and the cooling unit 115.

The unique technical feature of the embodiments herewith is that theheat generated in the housing 110 is exhausted by the external aircirculation of the cooling unit 115. A heat pipe (130, see FIG. 2) isused in transferring the heat inside the housing 110 into the coolingunit 115. Detailed description thereof will be described, referring thedrawings herewith.

FIG. 2 is a sectional diagram of A-A′ shown in FIG. 1, morespecifically, a rear view illustrating the inside of the digital signage100 according to one embodiment, cutting back surfaces of the housing110 and the cooling unit 115 away. FIG. 3 is a side sectional diagram ofB-B′ shown in FIG. 1.

The display panel 120 and the driving circuit board 150 are arranged inthe closed housing 110. The display panel 120 may be insertedly fittedto the front surface of the housing 110. Alternatively, the displaypanel 120 may be arranged in the closed housing 110 as shown in FIG. 3and a screen of the display panel 120 may be visible via a fronttransparent glass provided in the front surface of the housing 110.

The display panel 120 may include at least one of a liquid crystaldisplay (LCD), a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT LCD),an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a flexible display and a 3Ddisplay.

The display panel 120 realizes a high brightness to secure thevisibility even in bright circumstances and the size of the displaypanel 120 has been getting larger, such that the display panel 120 maygenerate relatively much heat, compared with a conventional displaydevice. In housing the display panel 120 is overheated, an image qualityof the display panel 120 could be affected and it is necessary toradiate the heat exhausted from the display panel 120.

Meanwhile, the driving circuit board 150 configured to control thescreen of the display panel 120 includes various circuit elements andapplies a voltage signal to realize an image and to supply a power. Suchthe driving circuit board 150 is electrically connected to the displaypanel 120 to transfer a driving signal. A cable or a flexible printedcircuit that can be flexible or bendable may be used in the electricalconnection between the display panel 120 and the driving circuit board150.

The circuit elements 151 provided in the driving circuit board 150 mayinclude an intelligent power module (IPM) that consumes much power. Onceput into operation, such an IPM generates a lot of heat. If the circuitelement consuming much power is overheated, it is impossible to stop theoperation of the circuit element and it is necessary to radiate the heatgenerated from the circuit elements 151 effectively.

According to this embodiment, the inner space of the housing 110 isclosed airtight to prevent external foreign substances from enteringtherein and high temperature air inside the housing 110 cannot beexhausted directly. Because of that, the embodiment uses an indirectmethod that the heat pipe 130 is provided to transfer the heat to thecooling unit 115.

The heat pipe 130 is a closed pipe formed of a metallic material havinga high thermal conductivity and filled with a liquid flowing therein.One end of the heat pipe 130 sucks heat and the other end thereofexhausts the heat via air convection of the liquid provided in the heatpipe.

The heat pipe 130 is extended via a top of the housing and a bottom ofthe cooling unit 115. The portions where the heat pipe 130 passesthrough may be treated for a water-proof function.

The appearance of the heat pipe 130 is not limited. According to thisembodiment, the heat pipe 130 may have a rectangular cross section toenable heat exchange between the heat pipe 130 and both of the displaypanel 120 and the driving circuit board 150. The heat pipe has a longside that is in contact with the display panel 120 and a relativelyshort side that is perpendicular to the long side. The display panel 120is in contact with one side of the rectangular heat pipe 130 and thedriving circuit board 150 is in contact with the other opposite side ofthe rectangular heat pipe 130.

The driving circuit board 150 may be arranged to make a portion wherethe heat is generated most in contact with the heat pipe. The heat istypically generated in an integrated circuit provided in the drivingcircuit board 150 most and the portion where the integrated circuit ismounted may be in contact with the heat pipe 130.

According to this embodiment, two heat pipes 130 are provided. However,considering the size or the performance, more than two heat pipes may beprovided. In addition, an inner space of the heat pipe 130 may be formedas one integrated space or the inner space may be divided into narrowpassages where a small amount of liquid can be vaporized directly rightafter the liquid is heated to move upward.

The liquid may be a volatile liquid that is phase-changed into a gas atthe temperature inside the housing heated by the driving circuit board150 and returns to the liquid state chilled when the temperature islowered. Such a volatile liquid may have a boiling point within a rangeof 40° C. and 70° C.

The liquid filled with the heat pipe 130 sucks the heat from the displaypanel 120 and the driving circuit board 150 at a predetermined portion(a lower portion, as shown in the drawings) and moves to the otherportion (an upper portion, as shown in the drawings). Especially, thevolume of the liquid is getting larger and moves upward, once the liquidabsorbs the heat. Accordingly, the liquid may move to the cooling unit115 located in the upper portion from the inner space of the heat pipe130.

When the heat pipe 130 is formed of a material having a high thermalconductivity, for example, copper (Cu) and silver (Ag), the heat pipe130 can absorb the heat generated in the display panel 120 and thedriving circuit board 150 easily and transfer the heat to the otherportion via air convection. Accordingly, the effect of heat radiationmay be enhanced.

The heat transferred to the other portion is cooled by the external airdrawn into the cooling unit 115. For smooth drawing and exhausting ofthe external air, the cooling unit 115 may further include a cooling fan160. The cooling fan 160 blows the air from a first hole 111 toward asecond hole 112. The other end of the heat pipe 130 is positionedbetween the first hole 111 and the second hole 112.

The positions of the holes 111 and 112 may be determined appropriatelybased on the arrangement of heat radiation fins 141 composing a heatradiation member 140. According to this embodiment, the first hole 111for sucking air is formed in a top surface and the second hole 112 maybe partially projected downward from a back surface of the cooling unit115 to exhaust the sucked air.

In housing the air is exhausted from the second hole 112 in a lateral orrear direction, the air could be blown to a person located near thedigital signage 100. Accordingly, it is preferred that the air isexhausted in a down direction via the second hole 112 formed projecteddownward. In addition, even if drawn into the cooling unit 115, foreignsubstances such as rain can be exhausted via the second hole 112.

A heat radiation member 140 may be further provided in the other end ofthe heat pipe 13 to exhaust the heat generated from the heat pipe moreefficiently. The heat radiation member 140 is formed of a materialhaving a high thermal conductivity, for example, copper, silver andaluminum and it can enlarge a surface area to enlarge a contact areawith the air penetrating the cooling unit 115.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cooling unit 115 may include a heatsuction part 142 configured to contact the other end 135 of the heatpipe 130 to suck the heat of the housing 110 transferred along the heatpipe 130 and a heat radiation fin 141 configured to contact the heatwith external air to exhaust the heat.

A plurality of heat radiation fins 141 may be spaced apart apredetermined distance from each other to enlarge a contact area. Aplurality of cooling fans 160 may be arranged between the spaced heatradiation fins 141 to enable the air to move between the spaced heatradiation fins 141. The heat radiation fin 141 according to thisembodiment may be projected downward such that the air may move downwardfrom the top to exhaust the heat via the heat radiation fins 141.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show another embodiment. FIG. 4 is a rear viewillustrating an inner space of a digital signage according to thisembodiment and FIG. 5 is a lateral sectional view of this embodiment.Different from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the heat radiationfins 141 are projected upward and the cooling fans 160 are arranged toblow the air from the front surface toward the back surface of thehousing.

The appearance of the other end of the heat pipe 130 may be broad in ahorizontal direction to enlarge the contact area with the heat suctionpart 142 of the heat radiation member 140. In housing of using aplurality of heat pipes 130, the other ends may be in communication witheach other and the air can be circulated. Although not shown in thedrawings, one ends of the heat pipes positioned in the housing 110 canbe in communication with each other and the liquids in the heat pipescan be exchanged with each other.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a further embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6is a rear view illustrating an inner space of a digital signageaccording to this embodiment and FIG. 7 is a lateral sectional view ofthis embodiment. According to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, asurface area of the other end 138 of the heat pump 130 is enlarged toexhaust the heat easily, without using the heat radiation member 140.

A plurality of cooling holes 139 may be formed in the heat pipe toenlarge a contact area with external air penetrating the cooling unit115. While external air is penetrating the cooling holes 139 of the heatpipe 130, the heat inside the housing 110 transferred via the heat pipe130 may be exhausted.

It is preferred that many small cooling holes 139 are provided toenlarge the contact area with the air from the other end 138 of the heatpipe. However, if the cooling hole 139 is too small, there could be aproblem in the air flow of the cooling unit 115 and the liquidcirculation cannot be performed smoothly in the heat pipe 130. The sizeof the cooling hole 139 may be determined, considering characteristicsof the liquid circulating in the heat pipe.

The cooling unit is arranged in the top portion of the housing, with noholes formed in a back side of the housing for cooling. Accordingly, asub display panel may be further provided in the back surface of thehousing and a double-sided digital signage can be realized.

According to at least one of the embodiments described above, the heatgenerated in the housing 110 can be exhausted effectively, even withoutdrawing the external air into the housing 110. Accordingly, thedurability of the digital signage can be enhanced.

Furthermore, external foreign substances may not be drawn into theclosed housing and no filter is provided. Accordingly, it can be simpleto repair and maintain the digital signage. In addition, the simple typeheat pipe capable of moving the heat upward and downward is used in thedigital signage according to the embodiments, not the conventional heatexchanger with complex passages. Accordingly, the thin housing 110 canbe realized.

When a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described inconnection with any embodiment, it is submitted that it is within thepurview of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, orcharacteristic in connection with other ones of the embodiments.Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number ofillustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerousother modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled inthe art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles ofthis disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modificationsare possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subjectcombination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawingsand the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications inthe component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also beapparent to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:
 1. A digital signage comprising: a housing includinga closed inner space; a cooling unit provided in a predetermined portionof the housing, the cooling unit including at least one hole configuredto suck and exhaust external air; and a heat pipe including one endpositioned in the inner space of the housing and another end positionedin the cooling unit, with a liquid flowing therein to move heat.
 2. Thedigital signage according to claim 1, further comprising: a heatradiation member coupled to the other end of the heat pipe to enlarge acontact area with the air penetrating the cooling unit.
 3. The digitalsignage according to claim 2, wherein the heat radiation memberincludes: a heat suction part having one surface in contact with theheat pipe; and a plurality of heat radiation fins that project fromanother surface of the heat suction part.
 4. The digital signageaccording to claim 3, wherein the plurality of the heat radiation finsare formed in a plate shape and spaced apart a predetermined distancefrom each other in a perpendicular direction to the one surface to makesurfaces face each other.
 5. The digital signage according to claim 4,further comprising: a cooling fan configured to control air flow to makeair flow between the heat radiation fins by drawing external airtherein.
 6. The digital signage according to claim 2, wherein the heatradiation member includes at least one of aluminum, copper, gold andsilver.
 7. The digital signage according to claim 1, wherein the coolingunit further includes: a cooling fan configured to control air flow inthe cooling unit to heat-exchange the external air sucked therein withthe heat pipe and to exhaust the air after the heat exchange.
 8. Thedigital signage according to claim 1, wherein the cooling unit isarranged in a top portion of the housing, more projected toward a reardirection than the housing, and the hole includes a first hole formed ina top or lateral surface of the cooling unit; and a second hole formedin a bottom of the projected portion of the cooling unit.
 9. The digitalsignage according to claim 1, further comprising: a display panelarranged in one surface of the housing, the cooling unit being coupledto a back surface of the display panel; and a driving circuit boardcoupled to a back surface of the heat pipe to control operating of thedisplay panel.
 10. The digital signage according to claim 9, wherein thecooling unit is arranged in a top portion of the housing, and the heatpipe is a long pipe in a vertical direction.
 11. The digital signageaccording to claim 10, wherein a horizontal cross section of the heatpipe is rectangular, and the heat pipe includes a long side in contactwith the display panel and a short side perpendicular to the displaypanel.
 12. The digital signage according to claim 1, wherein the liquidfilled in the heat pipe is a volatile liquid.
 13. The digital signageaccording to claim 12, wherein a boiling point of the volatile liquid is40° C. or higher and 70° C. or lower.
 14. The digital signage accordingto claim 1, wherein the other end of the heat pipe positioned in thecooling unit has an enlarged surface area.
 15. The digital signageaccording to claim 13, wherein the other end of the heat pipe includes aplurality of cooling holes configured to penetrate the air drawn intothe cooling unit there through.
 16. The digital signage according toclaim 1, wherein a plurality of heat pipes are provided and theplurality of the heat pipes include ends in communication with eachother.
 17. The digital signage according to claim 9, wherein the heatpipe contacts with the driving circuit board at a predetermined positioncorresponding to an integrated circuit (IC) mounted on the drivingcircuit board.
 18. The digital signage according to claim 1, wherein theheat pipe is extended in a vertical direction, penetrating a top portionof the housing and the cooling unit, and a portion of the heat pipewhich penetrates the housing and the cooling unit is treated forwater-proofing.
 19. The digital signage according to claim 1, furthercomprising: a sub display panel provided in a back surface of thehousing.
 20. The digital signage according to claim 1, wherein an innerspace of one case is partitioned off into the case and the cooling unitby a partition wall.